The Bottom Line: OnlyFans creators are deploying DMCA takedowns to disrupt malware distribution networks and help government and university websites identify compromises.
Security researchers from Upguard document how OnlyFans content creators are strategically using DMCA takedown notices to dismantle malware and scam distribution networks that abuse their content on compromised government and university servers as bait.
For some time, attackers have exploited vulnerabilities in university and government websites to host stolen OnlyFans content and use it as bait for fraud schemes and malware distribution. Upguard researchers have now traced how OnlyFans creators are actively leveraging this situation to dismantle the distribution networks behind it.
The distribution systems built by attackers follow a three-stage pattern: entry points with adult content attract web traffic, a routing mechanism directs it further, and landing pages monetize the traffic through scams or malware infections. Because OnlyFans creators act as copyright holders of their content, they can file Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices against unauthorized use. Upguard tracked these activities via Google’s DMCA Transparency Report and the Lumen database, which records takedown notices.
Google classifies such attackers as “SEO parasites” because they benefit from the authority of other organizations — particularly government and academic institutions. The DMCA takedowns have two immediate effects for affected website operators: the illegal adult content disappears from Google search results and no longer damages the institution’s reputation. At the same time, each takedown notice signals to those responsible that their servers are compromised and should be searched for security vulnerabilities.
Source: www.csoonline.com · Published July 17, 2026
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